Missouri Cattle Producers Host Annual Event to Spread the Love of Beef in Their Community

Imagine a week filled with rodeo, cowboy church, a junior livestock show, beef cookoffs, a country music concert and more. No, this isn’t your county fair. This is just part of the excitement and list of happenings at the second annual Missouri Beef Days (MBD) in Bolivar, Missouri. The first MBD was held in May 2022 to promote the importance of the beef industry and raise awareness of the impact of beef within Missouri communities.

MBD is an event worthy of attendance. In 2023, the MBD will be held May 6-13, once again, in Polk County. However, this year, the steaks are raised even higher. New this year, the event will be three days longer and will feature more special speakers, a second night of rodeo, and a corn hole tournament in addition to the parade, expo, Boots & Bling Banquet, Polk County Cattleman of the Year awards, Temple Grandin presentation, and country music concert that were all present at last year’s opening event.

The Meaning Behind Beef Days

“Our mission statement is three-fold. To educate people on the importance of beef for our environment, our economy and our nutrition. To recognize and honor our beef producers not only locally but statewide and to showcase Polk County and Bolivar to people,” said Matt Henenberg, MBD board president and senior vice president of LimeBank.

While MBD is a place for family fun and an endless list of activities, the purpose goes beyond the pomp and flare. Missouri ranks fourth in the country for all cattle and heifers that have calved, and Polk County ranks in the top three counties in Missouri for number of cows. Cattle and beef are one of the largest segments of the local economy. To celebrate some of the key producers in the area, the Beef Hall of Fame awards were created to recognize a Rancher of the Year and two Pioneer recipients who are honored at the Boots and Bling Banquet. Local producer Keith Stevens, MBD board member, received the honor of Polk County Cattleman of the Year in 2022.

As of 2021, only 1.3% of Americans are employed in on-farm jobs, so local events filled with fellowship, education and nutritious food are some of many ways that farmers and ranchers can reconnect with the consumers they feed.

One of the board’s goals was to create a signature event that the area of Polk County would be known for, said board member Linda Bunch. She believes it will grow to be a well-known and significant event for the state. In its first year, it drew attention and visitors from across Missouri, and 2023 has the potential for increased marketing to gather more people.

Benefiting Children and Families

Something unique about MBD is prioritizing feeding the community. Last year, volunteers fed every kid from kindergarten to college in the public and private schools of Bolivar a hamburger, and they used the time at the schools to offer educational materials to faculty and students about the nutritious benefits of beef as well as the sustainable way it is raised.

“Last year, we fed the Bolivar School District and Southwest Baptist University 4,500 hamburgers,” Henenberg said. “This year, we will feed the five smaller school districts in the county. We will serve close to 4,200 burgers and reach that many kids with beef education.”

Not only are they fueling students through food, but they are also fueling the next generation of agriculturalists. In 2022, the event surpassed their goals with double the amount of estimated attendance and by surpassing scholarship fundraising goals. Through an auction at the banquet, $45,000 was raised by Polk County Cattlemen to support local students pursuing agriculture education!

In the past, the Polk County Cattlemen received 4-5 scholarship applications a year. MBD brought a light to the opportunity for students to get scholarship money for their college education. In 2022, 17 students applied for the scholarship and the goal is to receive even more in 2023.

“MBD showcased these students who are the future of our industry, and the significance of that should not be overlooked,” Bunch said.

Behind the Scenes

Coordinating the details and assembling volunteers is the key to an event like MBD. The road to MBD began in 2018 with Bunch persistently calling for the organization of a large, community event that would finally bring recognition and appreciation to farmers and ranchers who were essential to the county.

“I just kept asking somebody to do it until someone finally said ‘yes,’” Bunch joked. “When Keith was on the Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce Board, we talked frequently about the need to recognize agriculture and the beef industry, our area’s number one industry. The cattlemen and the chamber were on board; we just needed someone to head it up.”

After a few years of conversation, Henenberg, who is on the Chamber of Commerce Advisory Board, took the lead to gather support and sponsorships amongst local banks and businesses. But it took the whole county and state to make the event a success. The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association played a large role in advertising the inaugural event, and the Polk County Cattlemen spent five days cooking the hamburgers for the schools. The nearby county associations — Dallas and St. Clair — also helped cook at the MBD Ag Expo. Local FFA chapter members volunteered to teach about cattle production and beef nutrition, and they worked at several MBD events. They also created wooden cows that sponsors purchased to be spread through MBD as a promotional tool.

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